Richard Glen Bogartto his friends, “Bogie,” his wife, “Dick,” and his grandchildren, “Papa Bogie”passed away at the youthful age of 89 on February 10, 2020, in exactly the way he would have wanted: in Mesa, Arizona, surrounded by loved ones, and with a belly full of vanilla ice cream.
Despite the soft spot left in his head from a gunshot wound received when he was just 18 years old, Bogie was otherwise hard-headed (and tough as nails). It took no less than an aggressive spell of pneumonia, a series of blood clots, and pancreatic cancer to take the old man down. But rest assured, in typical Bogie fashion, he fought with might the whole way through.
After spending his childhood on the south side of Chicago, Dick joined the U.S. Air Force and used the G.I. Bill to graduate from the University of Illinois in Accounting. In the spring of 1958, he married his college sweetheart, Patty Horan Bogart and together they parented five perfectwell near perfectchildren. He loved his family and friends, donuts, woodworking, Ketel One (on the rocks with a twist of lemon), and the game of golf with all of his heart.
Papa Bogie will be dearly missed by those who survive him: his loving wife of 62 years, Patty; his five children, Jay (Lori), Michael, Matthew (Stacy), Daniel (Natasha) and Betsy (his “favorite daughter”) (Ken); his seven priceless grandchildren, Emily (Jahzel), Grace, Ben, Katie, Valerie, Jack, and David; and his many friends and extended family members who are too numerous to count. They will always admire, among so many other things, his Irish sense of humor, impeccable sense of style, and unmatched ability to tell (exaggerate) a good story. They are sad to see him go, but beyond grateful to have known him.
Although he will miss his 90th birthday party, Bogie’s friends and family will all be there to celebrate his life on Saturday, March 14th, at the Church of the Transfiguration at 2:00 in the afternoon, with a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, contributions may be given in Bogie’s honor to the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration at 514 S. Mountain Rd., Mesa, AZ 85208, as Bogie strongly believed in serving those in need. Or, of course, one can pay tribute to Bogie’s life in the same way he celebrated those who passed before himthrough extremely exaggerated storytelling (because, as Bogie knew all too well, the best stories require a little creativity).
Cheers, Big Ears!
6 Comments To "Richard G. Bogart"
#1 Comment By Lisa Leimer On February 15, 2020 @ 12:00 am
We are keeping the Bogart family close to our hearts at this time. We feel honored to know Bogie and share in many celebrations with his family! We love you all and plan to share our support this spring. Hugs to all.